Puneet Bhagchandani '96 Wins 2012 Pride of India Award

Wooster alumnus honored for contributions to education and sciences

WOOSTER, Ohio, August 13, 2012 – Puneet Bhagchandani, a 1996 graduate of The College
of Wooster, has become the youngest social entrepreneur to receive the Bharat Gaurav
(Pride of India) award for his contributions to education and sciences in India. He
was honored at a ceremony in New Delhi in May.

Bhagchandani is CEO of the Keystone Group of Institutions, a residential college that
he co-founded in 2010, which offers undergraduate degrees in engineering and post-graduate
degrees in management at their campus in Rajasthan. Keystone Group’s vision is to
educate “techno-entrepreneurs and young professionals of global excellence who will
play a vital role in building our nation and business organizations.”

The Bharat Gaurav award is presented annually to individuals who have contributed
to India’s progress in a variety of fields. This is the second major award for Bhagchandani
and the Keystone Group in recent months. Keystone was named best emerging institution
for professional studies in Rajasthan and sixth overall in India.

“I am very pleased and humbled to receive this award,” Bhagchandani said. “I took
a risk and left the security of a well-paying job in the financial services sector,
hoping to make a difference in Indian higher education. It is gratifying to get this
affirmation that what we are doing at Keystone is having a positive impact. Wooster
prepared me well and I was confident to venture into new areas.”

Prior to starting the Keystone Group, Bhagchandani held senior management positions
at American Express, including director of loyalty strategy and new product development
in New York, and chief credit officer of American Express Bank in India. He graduated
from The College of Wooster in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in business economics
and earned an M.B.A. from City University of New York-Baruch College’s Zicklin School
of Business in 2000.

Bhagchandani also serves as co-chair of Wooster’s Indian alumni leadership group,
which works to further strengthen the college’s position and reputation in India.

The College of Wooster is America’s premier college for mentored undergraduate research.
By working one-on-one with a faculty adviser to create an original research project,
written work, performance or art exhibit, every Wooster student develops independent
judgment, analytical ability, creativity, project-management and time-management skills,
and strong written and oral communication skills. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls
approximately 2,000 students.